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Fat

What is Fat?
• Provides flavor to food
• Gives us a sense of fullness in our stomachs
• Helps carry certain vitamins around in the bloodstream.

Fat on our bodies
• Provides insulation to keep us warm
• Protects our internal organs like the heart, lungs and reproductive organs
• Is a source of stored energy

Contrary to popular belief, we need fat! What we don't need is too much fat, either in our diet or on our bodies. Excess fat in the diet can contribute to obesity (excess body fat) and can increase the risk of developing heart disease and certain kinds of cancer.

How much fat do we need?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than 20% of total calories come from fat. So if you're eating about 2000 calories per day, you don't need more than 400 of those calories coming from fat. Since each gram of fat has 9 calories, that's about 44.4 grams of fat each day.

Keep in mind that these amounts are guidelines. On average, over the course of the week, your intake of fat should be at 20% of calories. There are days you may have a little more than recommended and days you may have a little less. This is perfectly normal.

How do you know how much fat is in food?
Food labels do tell you how many grams of fat are in a serving of the particular food, and what percentage is saturated and unsaturated.

What’s the difference between saturated and unsaturated fat?
Fats can be either saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats are usually hard at room temperature and include fatty meats, the skin and fat on poultry, high fat dairy products (cheese, whole milk, cream, butter, and full-fat ice cream), coconut oil, and lard.

Unsaturated fats tend to be liquid at room temperature. They include polyunsaturated fats such as vegetable oils (corn oil, safflower oil), nuts and some margarine. Unsaturated fats also include monounsaturated fats such as the fat in olives, olive oil, avocados and canola oil. Margarine, while made from vegetable sources, goes through a chemical process that results in a type of fat that acts like saturated fat.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 10% of your calories come from saturated fat.

Tips for choosing lower fat foods
If you think your diet may be too high in fat, there are some changes you can make.
• Most whole grains, breads, pastas and cereals are naturally low in fat.
• Fruits and vegetables, full of vitamins and fiber, contribute little fat to the diet.
• Choose lean meats, beans, and low-fat dairy products.
• Limit your intake of processed foods such as crackers, cookies, cakes and higher fat snacks.
• Go easy on the fast food.
• Check the label if you're unsure about the amount of fat in a particular food.
• When cooking - broil, bake, grill and roast instead of sauté or fry
• When shopping - learn the definitions of such terms as lowfat, lite (see table below)
• When eating out - look for broiled, baked, grilled or roasted menu items. Ask for reduced fat items or look for a healthy heart symbol. Choose low-fat salad dressings or have your dressing on the side so you can limit the amount you use.

Confused About What Fat Labels Mean?
Fat free: A serving contains no or an insignificant amount of fat (less than 0.5 g)
Low fat: A serving contains no more than 3 grams of fat, no more than 1 gram saturated fat
Reduced fat: The product has been changed to have 25% less fat than the original product or reference product.
Light: The product has been changed to have at least 50% less fat than the original product or reference product
% fat free: A product must be low fat or fat-free and the percentage must accurately reflect the amount of fat in 100 grams of the food.

Test Your Knowledge Now

Updated 2010